Car-coupling.



NNW

HUINHHHIIIL lill# IH Hummm..

X M/. f7

,.Ilrlllf /N VEA/70H WCS, Lennon.

Patented Sept. I6, |902. W. S. LENNON.

CAR couPLlNG.

(Application med Feb. 17, 1902.)

(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Shaet 2` I HW 3 NIH /1 lll [7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WATSON` S. LENNON, OF TUCSON, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,338, dated September 16, 1902.

Application led February 17, 1902 Serial No. 94,519. (No model.)

To all whom it 1v1/wy concern:

Be it known that I, WATSON S. LENNoN, residing at Tucson, in the county of Pima and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

My present in ventionembodies certain improvements of draw-bar and connections for joining it with the draft-beams of the carframe and whereby provision `is made for lateral swinging of the draw-head with its cooperating coupling devices and for automatically returning said head to its straightway position and for holding it to said position while traveling over a straight'track-section.

My invention in its more subordinate features consists in certain details of construc- `tion and novel arrangement of parts, all

of which will hereinafter be fully described, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a car-body with my improved draw bar and head attached. Fig.` 2 is a' perspective view of the draw bar and head, the couplingjaw being shown swung out. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section thereof, taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 4: 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the head on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, the gravitylock for cooperating with the knuckle-j aw being shownin `position for locking the said jaw when turning on curves. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the correlation of the fulcrum portions of the coupling-jaw and the interlocking members on the draw-head ears when the jaw is in its coupled position. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the coupling-jaw. Fig. 8 is asimilar view of one of the draw-head ears in which the coupling-head is fulcru med.

i the position in which the connecting straps or disengage them from the draw-bar.

bands joined with the draw-bar are turned to Fig. l2 is a detail view of said straps or bands detached. Fig. 13 is a detail View ofthe swinging spring-pressed block.

In the present form of my invention the draw-head 10 in its general contour is of the Janney type, it having at one side the guide-horn l0a and at the opposite side a pair of ears 10b, between which the knuckle or coupling member A is fulcrumed in a manner presently explained. At the side adjacent the horn 10a the draw-head mortise has a vertical Wall 10C, that forms the lower continuation of one side of a housing or pocket 10d, formed in a cap portion 10e, integrally` cast with the top of the draw-head and which is provided to receive a vertically-movable andgravity-dropped locking-block 1l, having a socket ll to receive the end 12a of a U-shaped lift-lever l2, detachably `connected to the block 1l by the cotter-pin 11x, as shown. The member l2a passes down through an aperture l2X in the bottom of the draw-head and merges with the long arm 12, that eX- tends up through a guide-aperture in the horn part lOa of the draw-head, its upper end being flattened, as at 12d, and apertured to receive the end of a lift clevis, hook, or chain capable of being operated from the top or sides of the car in any well-known manner.

On the upper and lower walls of the drawhead mortise are formed opposing raised sur- `faces b b', whose front edges bx and rear edges by are curved on a plane concentric with the axial point of the coupling member A, provided with channels a a in the upper and lower surfaces of its inner or neck portion, the opposite edges of which are positioned to engage andy cooperate with the edges bx and by of the surfaces b b of the draw-head. At its extreme outer edge the inner end of member A has a depression ctx, adapted to engage with the gravity-block ll in the manner and for the purpose presently described.

By referring now more particularly 'to Figs. 6 to 9, it will be noticed the inner face of the two ears 10b each have a projection lOe 10, whose outer and inner edges e f are in planes at right angles to each other, and the inner edge e', between said edges e f, is

concaved on an arc of a circle, and the said two projections 10e are so disposed as to cooperate With. semicircular bearing portions a5 a5 on the upper and lower faces of the IOO neck of the coupling-jaw A, which faces also have bearing members 0.6 a6, disposed at points diagonally inward from the bearings a5.

By providingthe ears 10b with projections 10e and the neck of the jaw A with bearing portions a5 a5, as described and shown, a very simple and effective means is provided for detachably fitting the jaw A between the ears 10b l()b and providing a fulcrum or hinge connection therefor without the use of pivotpins and the like. To fit the coupling-jawin place, the neck thereof is slipped between the ears 10b and the bearings a5 are moved into engagement with the concaved face c of the members 10e. (See Fig. 6.) When in this position, a fixed fulcrnm for the jaw A is provided and the jaw held to swing freely in a horizontal plane.

When the jaw A is turned into its looked posit'ion,'the parts asas bear against the edges e of the projections 10e and assist in taking olf a too great strain on the inner concaved edge of the said projections 10e and said jaw cannot be removed from the head; but when the pin C is removed the jaw Acan be swung out, so its fulcrum parts a5 0,5 will disengagev and pull away from the member 10e. (See Fig.

' So far as described it will be readily understood-during a coupling action on a straightway track the opposing jaws A will be swung inward until the portions A5 pass from under 'the locking-blocks 11, which then drop in front of said jaw portions and securely hold them locked to a coupling position. In some instances, especially7 on curves, the coupling-jaws sometimes do not swing back to their innermost position, and to provide for locking them in a coupled position under such circumstances `the gravity-block will drop into engagement with the depression ax in the said jaws, it being obvious that as soon as the opposing jaws come in a like longitudinal plane and full back pressure is applied to them they will 'swing inward sulciently to permit the blocks 11 dropping entirely down.

In my present type of coupler I have formed the draw-bar of sections and provided means whereby the draw-head is normally held in a proper longitudinal direction and yet permitted to turn laterally in either direction under spring tension.

To prevent the jaw A from swinging out too far and loosing its proper fulcrum-bearing when set to its uncoupled position, the under side of the inner end of the jaw has a segmental channel a7, that terminates in a stopshoulder a8, adapted to coperate with a stoppin C, detachably held on the bottom of the draw-head mortise, as best shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 7, a spring-key being provided for engaging the pendent end of said pin C. When the pin C is in position, the outward swing of the coupling-jaw is thereby limited to the more readily adapt the coupling-jaws for a perfect interlocking when turning curves. For such purpose the draw-head is formed which will presently appear.

with a short draw-bar section 15, 4the end of which terminates in a edge 15a. The up- 4 per and lower faces of the section 15 are cast with transverse depressions 15C, the rear edges,V

of which have a middle part c", disposed transversely of the member 15, and rearwardlyinclined portions c' c'. The front portions of the depressions are formed with curvedA projecting lips or anges c3, that lie in a plane with the top and bottom faces of the said member 15. At a point between the straight edges c and the end the member has upwardly and downwardly extending elongated stud-heads 16, disposed transversely and having undercut or beveled ends, the reason for The studs 16 16 may be integrally formed with the member 15; but I prefer to make said studs 16 of two bolt-like sections having non-circular shanksY to fit the correspondiugly-shaped aperture 15x in the part 15. The members 16 and 16y are held together by a rivet 16X, as shown in Fig. ll.

D'designates a stout Il-shaped strap-iron adapted to tit over one ot' the cross-beams of the car. Pivotally mounted between the members d d of the strap D is a tension-block 17, the two being relatively connected to permit of independent lateral motion thereof.

The outer end of the block 17 has a central front end of block 17, the tension ofsaid` spring audits position being such as to press the rear end of the block normally againstthe bolt 1S and the frontend into contact with the stub end 15 of the vdraw-bar, and thereby maintain the two members 17 and 15 normally in a longitudinal plane.

To further hold the several parts constituting the draw-bar in a longitudinal direction, the front ends of the members d d'have longitudinally-elongated slots d' d', adapted to slip over the headed studs 16 16, and by reason of the spring tension on the block 17 and transverse position of the stud-heads said members d d become interlocked with said studs, and thereby form a convenient and simple means for maintaining the several parts of the draw-bar in a proper 1ongitudinal alinement under ordinary conditions. To further maintain a substantially rigid connection of the several parts constituting the draw-bar,'the front end of the members cl 'd are formed with enlargements d", adapted to seat in the depressions 15b, and with curved lips or ianges d5, adapted to ride under the curved flanges or lips c3, as

IOO

IIO

clearly shown in Figs..2, 9, 10, and 12, and

i to keep the two partsconstituting the drawoperating `couplingmeans the several parts I es bar properly in a straight line under ordi `nary conditions the enlargements dx of the tained in a proper cooperative position by reason of the lips or flanges c3 and the anges d5. To separate the head, with its draw-bar section 15, from the straps or to attach thereto, it is only necessary to bring the straps at right angles to the member 15 and press against the rear end of the strap member D, which will cause its ends having theelongated apertures to automatically become disengaged from the studs 16 16.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed the complete operation of the several parts of Vmy invention and the advantages thereofwill'be readily apparent.

The several parts are especially designed for eifectin g an economical construction of the draw-head, the bar, and the couplingdevices, all of which have a special cooperation and combine to prodiiceacomplete and effectively of which are arranged for automatic action, the only manual labor required being toset the lock-block llto its elevated position when the parts are to be uncoupled. Y

While I prefer to use the special construction of draw-head shown and described, yet I desire it understood that my inventioncan Abe used in connection with other types of draw-heads.

Having thus described my invention, what i I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- ent, isd 1. The combination with 'a draw-bar, comprising a VJ-shaped strap, a bearing-block,

held between the ends thereof, and having yielding movement lengthwise thereof; of a draw-head havinga shank, said shank and the bearing-block having pivotal coacting bearing-surfaces, and means for detachably connecting the draw-head shank with the ends of the 1-shaped draw-bar, as and for the purposes shown and described.

2. The combination with the draw-head, havinga shank terminating in a shaped bearing end, said shank also having a coperating pivot-stud on the upper and under sides, transversely-disposed bearing-shoul ders, and angle shoulders on the said upper and under sides; of a Il -shaped draw-bar, have ing slotted ends to engage the pivot-studs on the draw-bar shank, and having transverse bearing-surfaces to engage the transverse and angle bearin'gsurfaces on the aforesaid shank, and the spring-held bearing-block mounted within the draw-bar members, said block hav'- ing -shaped bearing-face opposing the shaped end of the draw-head shank, all being arranged substantially as shown and described. 4

3. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head formed with a shank having a -shaped end bearing, a headed stud upon the upper and lower sides, adjacent the end bearing, and a projecting iiange or lip on the said upper and lower faces, curved in transverse direction; of the .'.l-shaped draw-bar strap, having elongated slots, adapted to co operate with the aforesaid headed studs, the extremities of said strap havingcurved mem- .bers to slide under the curved lips or flanges on the draw-head shank, the bearing-block,

longitudinally movable in the j-shaped strap or bar, said `block having a W-shaped end bearing to oppose the V-shap'edbearing of the draw-head shank, and provided With a longitudinal slot, the cross pin `or bolt for joining the block and the strap and the spring in said slot, all being arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposes shown i and described.

WATSON S. LENNON.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. OLLoN, THOMAS GULDEN. 

